whole Churche of Christ at that time Or y t there was then any communion ministred in the church to the people vnder one kinde only Or y t the commen prayers were then pronouÌ„ced in a strauÌ„ge toÌ„ge that the people vnderstoode not Or that the Bishoppe of Rome was then called Vniuersalis Episcopus or Caput Vniuersalis Ecclesiae an vniuersall Bishoppe of the whole world or els the head of the vniuersall Churche Or that the people was then taught to beleue that in the Sacrament after the coÌ„secration the substauÌ„ce of Bread and wyne departeth awaye and that there remayneth nothing els but only the accidentes of Bread and wine Or that then it was thoughte lawfull to say x. xx or xxx masses in one churche in one day Or that the people was theÌ„ forbidden to praye or to reade the scriptures in theyr mother tonge And other â—…o Articles a great number I rekened vp then at Poules Crosse which it were loÌ„g now to rehearse And if any one of all these articles can bee sufficiently proued by such authoritie as I haue said as ye haue borne y â— people in haÌ„de ye can proue them by I am well content to stande to my promisse â—…f you saye these are but smal matters in comparison of others yet as small as ye wolde haue theÌ„ seeme now â–ª sum men haue felte no small smarte for them And where you merueile why I began not rather with the reall presence with Justification with the valew of good workes with the sacrifice of the Masse wyth praying vnto sainctes with prayinge for the dead althoughe in deede it maye seeme very mutche for me to be appointed by others what order I shoulde take in my preachinge yet to answeare the truth why I passed by these maters at the first and rather began with other the cause was not for that I doubted in any of the premisses but only for that I knewe the matters that you â—…ue questioÌ„ of might at least haue sum colour or shadow of the doctours But I thought it best to make my entree 〈◊〉 such thinges as wherin I was well assured yâ—…â—…lde be able to finde not so mutche as any colour at all And if ye will firste graunt this to be trewe as I beleue you will notwithstandinge the people haue ben longe told the conâ—…rary afterwarde I am well content to trauel with you father in the rest Further I merueile mutche ye write y t touching a priuate masse or the receiuing vnder one kinde or the commeâ—… prayers to be had in an vnknowen tongue or otherwise ye are not resolued to answear precisely without if or and â–ª For where ye saye ye are coÌ„tent to be ordered herein by a generall Councell first I woulde 〈◊〉 what general Councel of any antiquitie euer decreed any of those matters against vs 〈◊〉 perhap â—…es ye wil say the councel of CouÌ„stauce that of late yeres pronounced oâ—…y against Christ himselfe â–ª and all the primitâ—… churche that it shoulde be a 〈◊〉 disorder if the people should commâ—… cate vnder both kindes And haâ—…g no 〈◊〉 couÌ„cel that 〈◊〉 was to alledge in these matters I maruâ—… how ye can iustly say ye are altogether ordered by couÌ„celles And yet farther woulde I learne what warrant any general CouÌ„cel can haue to decree any thinge contrary to goddes word Where ye say ye haue sene maister Caluines and maister Bucers reasons haue founde them very weake and not able to moue any other then yonge 〈◊〉 and vnlearned people me thinketh that answeare is so commen and so general that it maâ—…â—…erue our tourne as well as yours For we haue reade Coclaeus Eckius Pigghius 〈◊〉 and such others haue found such reasoÌ„s and answeares in them as I beleue you your selfe are not mâ—…che moued withall Where you saye that maister Caluâ—…es anâ—… maâ—…ster Bucâ—…rs reasons haue benne answeared I graunt in deede they haue 〈◊〉 answeared but not so muâ—…che by learninge as by other meanes as you knowâ—… But your reasoÌ„s haue 〈◊〉 answered by reason 〈◊〉 â–ª as now God be thanked the whole worlde knoweth But to conclude as I began I answeare that in these articles I holde only the negatiue and therfore I loke howe you will be able to affirme the contrarie and that as I said afore by sufficient authoritie Whiche if ye do not you shal cause me the more to be resolued others to stande the more in doubt of the rest of your learning 20. Martij Io. Sarum â–ª ⧠D. Coles seconde Letter to the Bishop of Sarum I Shall for this tyme passâ—… ouer all other partes of your answeare and renew my former suite vnto you in most hartye and humble wise desiring you to giue eare vnto me in the same Remember â—…or goddes sake howe I began with you not for other entent then to be instructed why I shoulde be accompted obstinate for standing in coÌ„trary opinion with you Nowe when I weighe your answere sent me lately in writinge I thinke you do mistake my doyng supposing that the same coÌ„meth not of such grounde as it doth My letter sent to your declareth in my first entree with you what my meaning was and wherof it proceded I hearde by reporte of manie that bothe at Powles other where ye openly wished that one man thinkinge otherwise then you do would charitably talke with you whom you would with like charitie answeare and â—…ndeuour to satisfye And although yoâ—… had not so protestâ—…d yet is it the parte of a common and publike preacher to performe no lesse when occasion is geueÌ„ With whyche cause I was moued to write as I did entendinge if I might to learne of you that I knew not and that coulde by learning perswade a man not wholy vnlâ—…arned to yelde therunto according to the wordes of my writinge and â—…rotestation But I â—…nde not this meanynge in your writiÌ„g sente vnto me wherin you shâ—…e your selfe â—…isposed only to defede your teaching as confessed and take fâ—…r trew nâ—… to giue any accâ—…pte thâ—…rof or to satisfye any y â— doubteth And there you 〈◊〉 me allâ—…age to the contrarye and â—…proue your saying which neither reason nor lawe can driue me to Râ—…ason â—…icause the doctrine being yet dâ—…btfull and standinge vpon proufe the teacher shoulde firste approue it vnto suche as doubte Which the custome of learning in all vniuersities proueth true Where the oppenâ—…t when â—…atter is â—…enied as your doctrine is by vs alleageth â—…or y â— parte which he would haue sâ—…me â—…rew Anâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ou to disproue that doâ—… 〈◊〉 which lonâ—…e time hath benne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more when any man professed a râ—…formation of doctrine as you dâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath euer alleaged causes wlâ—…y they so did 〈◊〉 so take â—… hande â–ª to proue that they taught â–ª agaiâ—…st such as did and woulde thinke otherwise But bicause you aâ—…e aâ—… Bishop and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…tche an 〈◊〉 ye doubt 〈◊〉 â—…ou ought 〈◊〉 shewe cause of y
⧠THE TRVE COPIES OF THE LETters betwene the reuerend father in God Iohn Bisshop of Sarum and D. Cole vpon occasion of a Sermon that the said Bishop preached before the Quenes Maiestie and hir most honorable Counsel 1560. ¶ Set forthe and allowed according to the order appointed in the Quenes Maiesties Iniunctions ¶ Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per septennium THE COPIE OF a letter sente from D. Cole to the Bishop of Sarum vpon occasion of a Sermon that the saide Bishop had preached in the Courte before the Quenes Maiesty IT ruâ—… 〈◊〉 I shall not needâ—… many wordes to make my entree with you You hauâ—… made so large and gentill an offer that my request beynge employed wythâ—… the compasse of the same shall haue an answere I hope to my comforte Where in these Articles you seeme very resolute as it is thought so well armed that you haue whâ—… withto persuade any reasonable maÌ„ to be in them of 〈◊〉 opinioÌ„ may it therfore like you to sende me the chiefe places in these â—…atters not written for that were to mutche paines for you but noted or as they terme it coted whiche where they be And I promise you by y t â—…aith I beare to God I shall yelde fo farre as you shall giue me cause I wold wishe it might please you to write herein againe for talke will not so well further that you should herein entende Yf happely it shall lyke you to wryte any more then the places whiche ye accompte will throughly proue your opinion I pray you do it rather dialecticè then otherwise For the weght of these matters more requireth learning then wordes Yf the places that you haue in these Artiâ—…les be but such as are already answeared by learued men on our side or but suche as Caluine Bueer or other of the protestauntes haue laide for them selfe then I trust you will laye more weght or reason to them For suche as they be in them I haue already sene I repute them percase somwat able to do with yonge folke or the simple and vnlearned people other I wene weigh them no better then they be worthy Yet one thing more I long muche to be answeared in why ye rather offer â—…othe in your Sermon yesterday in the Courte at all other times at Powles Crosse to dispute in these iiii pointes then in the chiefe matters that lye in question betwixte the Church of Rome and the ProtestauÌ„tes Yt semith to me farre the nearer way to compasse that you would so faine winne if ye began not with suche matters which we deny not but a generall CouÌ„sell might take order that they shoulde be practised as ye woulde haue it Mary the Article of the presence of Christes Body bludde in the Sacrament the article of our Iustification the valewe of a Christian mans good workes whether the Masse â—…sed in the churche of Rome be tolerable yea or no yea whether that y e masse be not a verye sacrifice acceptable to God in dede and good bothe for the quicke and the dead whether any Scripture forbiddeth a manne to deâ—…re the blessed Apostles and Martyrs in heauen to pray for vs whether it be lefull to honour them and whether it be lefull for vs and good for them to prayâ—… for all christian Soules I wene if ye â—…ad the vpper hande but in one of these questions the world might wel thinke we were smally to be trusted in all the â—…est For we make a platte and playne answere to them without if or and. So do we not whether the Seruice ought to be in Englishe or not Or whether the people ought to receaue in bothe kindes or no. Or whether any priuate â–ª Masse ought to be saide in the Churche or no. I haâ—…â—…eoparded to wade this farre with you for no worse purpose then I haue vttered at the beginning For of trouâ—…h if you shew me good cause why I shal yelde as I haue promised Mâ—… aduenture in this case syalbe so taken I trust as no aduaÌ„tage be sought against me as for breache of any parte of my 〈◊〉 one way or other Wherefore I pray you constrewe my doynges by the meaning I had in them I haue here set in writynge the 〈◊〉 that you haue so gentelly ofâ—…d â—…o â—…e resonable in suche sorte in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…y 〈◊〉 ported 〈◊〉 your mouth 〈◊〉 me 1. Whether there remayne any substance of Bread and Wyne after the consecration done as the Churche appointeth 2. Whether it be tolerable that y â— people should receaue vnder one kinde or no 3. Whether it be any offeÌ„ce before God that the common Seruice shoulde be saide in a tonge that the people vnderstandeth not 4. Whether it be any offeÌ„ce before God a Prieste to saye Masse onles one or other receaue with him 18. Martij Henricus Cole The Bishop of Salisburies answere vnto the letter afore written I Perceyue by youre letters that ye were not present your selfe at my Sermon in the Court but only herde of it by the reporte of others And where you desire to be answered in certain pointes touchinge the same considerynge both my calling and also the place where I spake I staÌ„de in doubte whether I may safely wythoute further licence geue a rekening of my doctrine being vttered before the Prince the Counsell and the whole state of the Realme specially to a subiecte and sutch a subiecte as mistiketh all Sermons and yet will not vouchesaue to heare one Notwithstandyng forasmuche as I am persuaded that you charitably desire to be resolued â–ª I can also charitably be contented as a frende with a frende or a scholar with a scholar to conferre with you herein reseruinge alway my former protestation Touchingâ—… y â— quotations of the special points groundes that I stand vpoÌ„ if you had herde y â— maner of my doctrine your selfe I be leue you would not haue required theÌ„ For your reporterhath altered the whole forme of my speakyng For I stoode only vpon the negatiue which as you saide when time was in the disputation that should haue ben at Westminster is not possible to be proued My offer was this that if any one of all those thinges that I theÌ„ rehearsed could be proued of youâ—… side by any sufficient authoritie other of the Scriptures or of the olde Doctours or of the auncient Councels or by any one allowed example of the primitiue churche that then I woulde be content to yelde vnto you I say you haue none of al those helpes nor Scriptures nor CouÌ„cels nor doctours nor any other anâ—…iguitye this is the negatiue Now it staÌ„deth you vpon to proue but one affirmatiue to y e contrarie and so to require my promisse The articles y â— I said could not be proued of your parte wer theâ—…e â–ª That it can not appeare by aâ—…y authoritie other of the olde Doctours or of the auncient CouÌ„cels that there was any priuate masse in the
y â— matter you did the like your self For in Quene Maries time you subscribeâ—… to the Articles sum of theÌ„ we are entred to talk in to your no lesse blame theÌ„ mine There be in the Town that both saw you subscribe and can bring forth your hand To this and som parte of the â—…te article you shal be answered in the end of this writing as I before said What nedeth so 〈◊〉 of one thing this serâ—…th you to seâ—… to â—…ay 〈◊〉 much â–ª I graunt Such fond excuses meÌ„ lay how trew let other iudg You forget your self I say not thus pardie loke berter in the place Then begin if you think y â— time will serue or put it ouer till another time All these be but wordes often repeated and answered alredy â—…ede the place again I say not so theÌ„ you shall se lesse cause to complain You say the councel at CoÌ„stance opely promoued against Christ hym self wherin I praye you bicause the fathers there 〈◊〉 who sayth it is of necessitie to receaue vnder both kinds that the approued custome of the Church is Sacriledg to be taken for an Heretik and 〈◊〉 no heretik but in a wrong opinion Then bilike you can bring in sum Texte where Christ commauÌ„ded it should not be receiued but vnder both kinds which you can neuer do So is your reporte of this councel very â—…aunderous still â—…eed 4. Canonem Concilij Constantiensis You ground your prouf vpon Pighius â—…rour For Pighius â—…oldeth the CouÌ„cell of Ephesus was generall which the couÌ„cell of Calcedon denieth So y â— I merueil much herein of you that you alledg that for a Councel which hath no place in y â— Boke of Councelles Wherin doth Pighius proue y â— CouÌ„celles of Constance and Basill to haue erred Mary bicause they decried y â— generall Councell to be aboue the Pope If ye take these two CouÌ„celles to haue erred in this pointe you are a greater Papist then I am for I holde herin rather w t Gerson I trow this be one place that you wrote not your self Yet I â—…keÌ„ no errour proued in any geuerall CouÌ„cell by that you haue said To this I haue answered alredy to you I haue answered to this alredy what order of disputation dischargeth you of prouf yet remember I came not to dispute but to be taught Yf you refuse to enstruct me onleâ—… I bring sum prouf of my parte you bid me to my cost You bid me to a feaste â–ª where while I shoulde take on me to proue your doctrin naught I were like â—…orfeit my Recognisaunce whiche you guilfully allure me vnto God wot I passe litle in these matters what the poore selie soules diem of my doinges Wherin you haue no cause to complain sith they be ediâ—…etd toward you Wise men I doubt not see what iust cause I haue to doo as I do You wold beare folke in hand that they that agree not in doctrine wyth you are not the Quenes frendeâ—… which you gather by your own side in Quene Maries raigne but I neuer brake amitie with any man for discent in religion I keape still mine olde frendes be theyâ—… Religion good or bad As though mine affectioÌ„ only caused me to disceÌ„t from you in religioÌ„ Which argument maye serue you happely in Rhetorik but no wher els I wene This place is aboue answered NOw forasmuch as you make this a great foundation against vs that we varie from y â— Primitiue Church and therby make y â— simple soules wene that we were in the wronge side here I pray you shew your opinion wether we are bounde to doo all thinges whyche we finde by sufficient authority were in vre in y â— Primitiue Church And bicause you shall not be herein squemish I shall here begin to shew you mine I am of the opinion that the CouÌ„cell of ConstaÌ„ce was in this matter I think it an errour I am bound to do as y â— Primitiue Church did where the Churche customably vsed the contrarie I â—…eken an â—…raÌ„ple no bond I deny not but those examples were to be folowed not to be broken at euery mans will and pleasure vntil by commeÌ„ assent othâ—…r order were takeÌ„ But if you seke olde writers and finde me that the Churche these sire huÌ„dred yeres obserued noâ—… many thigs which were practised and accompted for good holesunâ—… and holy in the Primitiue Church and therby dieme vs in errour this were a wrong iudgmeÌ„t For the church of Christ hath his childhode his manhod and his hoorheares and as that that is miet for aman in one age is vnmiet in another So were many thigs miet requisite necessarie in the primitiue church which in our daies were like to do more harâ—… then good This is no new deuised phantasie but vttered xi C. yeres agoo by Saint Ambrose without reproche I shewed you red you the place at â—…estminster as you may remember and it were to long to make rehersall of his wordes here We might by taking the contrarie opinion herein be lede to think we ought to receiue the SacrameÌ„t euermore after Supper not fasting But S. Augustin saith that Christ left this to his church to take order how and in what sort his Sacramets should be receiued and vsed wherein he saith it is a meruelous insolent kind of madnes to misâ—…ike y â— which is receiued in the Church where y t custoÌ„ is not against any commaundement in the Scripture S. Peter â—…aused as Damâ—… sus saith a commaundement to be giueÌ„ that no woman should cum bare faced to the Church S. Clement toke order that the Clergie should haue all thinges in common and to line together as in the late refourmed order of sainct Benâ—…tes Monkes dothe most godly appear And not many yeres since the saide order in all Cathedrall churches was obserued Yet I wene it wer an errour to hold of necessitie it should be so still or to say y t Church were in errour bicause it hath suffred a contrary custome to criep in Then if y â— custom of y t church may break y â— was in the Primitiue church coÌ„maunded it is lesse offence to leaue vndone y â— was at y t beginning practised no coÌ„maundement geuen for other to folow the same Thus much I thought to put you in remembrance of for such matters as you thouch in the 17. 42. 43. noÌ„bers 8. Aprilis Henricus Cole ⧠A Letter sent from the Bishoppe of Sarum to doctour Cole wherin he requireth of him a true and a full Copie of the former answer I Understand by the reporte of diâ—…ers that ap pearinge of late before y â— Quenes Maiesties visitours at Lambeth and beyng there demaunded of a Letter that was then abroade in your name as aunswere vnto me whether ye woulde acknowledge thesame as your owne or no and so much the more for that ye had vsed the matter vnder couert and sent your copies abrod into al
sumus panibus bene nobis erat malū non vidimus That is We wyll not heare the word that thou spekest v◅to vs in the name of y t lord but we wyll do euery thinge that shall procede oute from our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Quene of Heauen and to offer vp Drinke offerynges vnto her as both we haue done and oure fathers and our kinges our princes in the citie of Iuda and in the streates of Hierusalem For then had we plentie of victualles and were wel and felt no euyl We remember when the Gospel of Christ was preached by S. Paule at Ephesus the deuels mouth was therby stopped all his force and power taken from him yet there was a great n◅ber that rose vp against Paule violently withstode his doctryne and cryed out wyth mayn voyte agaynst him Magna est diana Ephe siorum Great is Diana the Goddesse of the Ephesians Euē so in these dayes notwithstanding the comparisō may happely seme somwhat od◅ous where as the holy Communion is restored to the vse and fourme of y ◠primitiue church to the same order y ◠was deliuered and appointed by Christ and after practised by the Apostles and continued by y e holy doctoures and fathers for y e space of fyue or sixe hundred yeares throughout all the whole Catholick churche of Christ without exception or any one sufficient exāple to be shewed to the contrarye yet are there sum this day that refuse it and shun it vnaduisedlye and wilfullye run hedlong to the Masse of a good zele I hope but not according vnto knowledg For alas they vnderstande not what ▪ they do they know not neither the communion neyther the Masse neyther wil they harkē or inquire to come to knowledg And so in y t middest of the light they remayne stil in darknes Wherfore as I said afore I haue thought it nedefull to intre at sumwhat herof at this tyme haue good hope through Goddes grace so to laye forth the whole matter not with eloquence of words but w t simplicity of the truth y t it maye be plaine both vnto thē that haue forsaken the masse for what cause and howe iustly they haue forsakē it and also vnto them that as yet delite in it what maner of thinge it is that they delyte in I knowe sum man wil saye for as much as y ◠sacrament is a holy thing the ordinaūce of Christ the high mistery of his death of our saluation to remain in the church for euer Therfore it cannot possibly be abused all that we speake this day in this behalfe we speak of malice and not of truth True it is the sacrament is an holy thing y ◠ordinaunce of Christ the mistery of our saluation yet is there nothing so good no ordinaūce so holy no mistery so heauenly but through y ◠foly frowardnes of man it may be abused The Serpent that was set vp by Moises in the wildernes was an holy thinge for it was a sacrament a figure of Christ hanging on the crosse yet was it abused The Gospell of Christe is an holy thynge yet S. Paule sayth to the Philippians there were sum then that preached it for malice and contention doing therby seruice not vnto Jesus Chryste whō they professed in their mouth but vnto theyr owne bellye And thus beyng holy in it self yet was it shamefully abused And what thing is there s◅ holye as the name of God and yet what thing is there so often taken in vain or somuch abused But to cum neare to our purpose the sacrament of Baptyme is an holy thinge yet hath it ben abused and that in the churche of God yea euen at the beginnynge of the churche euen when the Apostles of Christ were yet a lyue and the bloude of Chryste as yet fresh greene before theyr eyes In S. Paules tyme there wer sum that baptised for y ◠dead after that there were sum that baptised such as wer alredy dead sprinkled thē with water in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy gost laied their handes ouer them called thē by their names as if they had ben alyue Whyche thing was reproued forbiddē in the councell of Carthage Others there were that baptised childrē before they were borne beynge as yet in theyr mothers womb Which thing is mencioned and reproued by S. Augustin All these as may sone appeare were gre◅t abuses Thus the sacrament of Baptisme not withstanding it were a holy thing yet was abused The sacrament of the brekinge of Christs body the sheading of his bloud is an heauenly mistery and an holy thing yet hath it oftē tymes ben abused and that in the Primitiue churche when the religion of Chryste semed to be in hyghest perfection In the time of Tertullian and of S. Ciprian which was athousand and four hundred yeres ago wemen commenly toke the sacrament home with thē in theyr napkins layed it vp in theyr chests and receiued a portion of it in the morning before other meats This was an abuse of the sacrament therfore was it brokē In S. Ciprians and S. Augustines tyme yong babes as sone as they were Baptised receyued the Communion But that was a great abuse For by the doctryne of S. Paule the holy misteryes ought to be geuen vnto none but onely vnto suche as be able to vnderstand the meanyng therof to sudge the Lordes body and to declare his death And therfore now infantes when they be baptised receyue not the Communion In the tyme of S. Hierom sum portion of the holy Communiō was sent from the churche to the newe maried man and to his wyfe to be receyued at home This was a disorder of the sacrament and therfore now is not vsed S. Ireneus sayth that one Marcus a necromanser was wōt to enchaunte the cup of the sacrament of Christes bloud so that the liquour should seeme to increase multiplie from a litle to growe to a great quantitie This also was an horrible abuse of Christes holy sacraments Summe of late tyme haue receyued the communion for theyr purgation to cleare them selfe againste sum notorious slaunder And then the priest chaunged the wordes which comenly be vsed at the ministration and said thus Corpus domini nostri Iesu Christi sit tibi ad purgationem Sum others haue vsed to hang the Sacrament as an Agnus Dei before theyr breastes for a protection against the assaultes of the deuel all other wordly enemies S. Benet ministred the communiō vnto a woman that was dead it may well be thought that other did so as well as he For it is forbidden by generall consent in two counselles th one holden at Antifrodorum the other at Carthage No man can lightly denye but these were greate abuses For Christ appointed not the Sacrament of his laste supper that wemen should beare it home
kepe it in their chests nor that it shulde be sent home to new maryed men and wemen to be receyued in seuerall nor that it shuld be ministred to babes and infa◅tes that knewe not what it ment nor that Inchaunters or Necromansers shoulde therby auaunt their detestable practises nor y t men shoulde therby discharg them selues from slaunder nor that it shuld be hanged before mens brestes and caried about as a shielde against the Deuel nor that it should be ministred vnto dead men or women ◅losed vp in theyr mouthes layd with them in theyr graues But y t such as bare the name of Chryst trusted to be saued by his bloude shoulde communicate together solace them selues in the remembraunce of his death This Christ himselfe hath instructed vs ▪ do this he saith in remembraunce of me Thys is the very true lawfull vse of the holy Communion of Christes body and bloud and all others are abuses We se therefore that albeit the sacrament be an holy thinge and an heauenly mistery yet that notwithstanding it may many waies be abused But what nede we so manye proues in a thinge that is so euident Saint Paule hymselfe saw the abuses thereof in his tyme. S. Paule hymself euen in the beginnyng of the Churche wythin forty yeares after Christes death withnesseth that euen then there were abuses crept into y ◠sacramēt and therfore repro◅eth the Corinthians And for redresse therof calleth them backe to the example fyrste institution of Christ. That same selfe thyng sayth he that I receyued of the Lord that I delyuered vnto you in suche sort as I had receyued it Let that be a paterne for you to folow Summe man perhappes wil heare reply notwithstanding the sacrament in it self either through the wickednes or through y e foly of man may be and haue benabused yet neyther was there euer nor can there be any such abuse in the masse For it standeth of foure special parts godly doctrine godly consecration godly receyuinge of the sacrament and godly prayers In conclusion it is so heauenly so godly a thing that no foly or wickednes can enter into it These thinges good brethern I know haue ben oftē times spoken out of such places as this is stoutly auoutched in your hearing And therfore after that the masse had ben once abolished by y ◠noble prince of godly memory kind Edward the sixt the next prince for that she knew none other religion aud thought well of y e thyng that she had ben so lōg trained in would nedes haue it put in vre again through all her dominions it was forthwith restored in lyke māner in all points as it had ben vsed before without any kynde of alteratiō or chaung as I beleue that theyr verye doinges therein might stand for proufe sufficient that neyther the masse it selfe nor any parsel or point therof had euer ben abused But alas what if they that most of all other defend the masse thēselues fynd faultes and abuses in y e masse Mark I pray you what I say what if the very mainteyners and proctours of the masse confesse plainly vnto the worlde in theyr bokes openly printed set abrode y t there haue ben be abuses errours in the Masse Albertus Pigghius the greatest piller of that parte in a litle trea◅ise that he writeth of the Masse hath these wordes Quod si qui abusus in rem sacratissimam saluberrimam irrepserunt vt irrepsisse plerosque non diffitemur scimus ad quem ad quos pertineat eosdem corrigere That is to say if there haue certein abuses crepte into y ◠holy and holsom thing that is the Masse as I graunt there haue crept in very manye yet we know to what man men the redresse thereof doth apperteine Here Pigg◅ius graunteth simply wythout colour that diuerse abuses haue at sundry tymes priuily crept into y ◠Masse And yet I beleue he was no such enemy to the cause that he would euer haue graūted somuch specially against y e same self thyng that he defended vnlesse he had knowen it perfectly to be true It any man doubt of this man Albertus Pigghius and knowe not hys authority nor what he was let hym vnderstand y t when I speake of him I speake of all for thys is he that all the rest haue chosen to follow as their captain The greatest learned mā as it is supposed and as he hymselfe thought that ◅uer wrote in y ◠quarrell He hath founde out errours and abuses in the masse and is not abashed opēly to confesse the same Of these errours I haue intended sumwhat to intreate at thys tyme not of all for that would be an infinite labour but of so many and so ta◅eforth as the tyme shal suffer me I wyll not here enter to speake eyther of transubstātiation either of the real presence eyther of y ◠sacrifice eyther of the comen sale or vtteraunce eyther of the superstitious ceremonies of the Masse which are for the most parte both verie vayne and also in maner wythout number Of these thinges I am content to disaduauntage myselfe at thys tyme and bryefly to touche two or thre pointes as of the latin tong wherin commenly the masse hath ben vsed of the Communion vnder one kynd of the Canon of the adoration of the sacramente and of the priuate masse And of these things I intēd to speak although not so largely and with so manye words as y ◠cause would require yet by Goddes grace so simply so truely that who so will be moued with truth or reason shal sone perceiue there hath ben abuses in the Masse And if there were but one of these abuses in it yet were it worthy to be spoken of and to be amēded But if we shall plainly see with our eyes that all the er rours disorders besyde a great number els whyche I wyllingly passe by haue ben in the masse O good bretherne let vs not then thinke that so many godly men in these our dayes haue spokēagainst it without cause First as touching y ◠vnknow◅n and straung tong y t hath ben vsed in the Masse S. Paules counsel and commaundement is in generall that what so euer is done or sayd in the congregation shoulde so be done and sayd that the hearets may haue confort thereby yelde thankes vnto God and saye Amen But the same saint Paul saith if thou make thy prayer in y ◠congregation with thy spirite or noyce of a straung wordes howe shal the vnlearned man thereunto saye Amen For he knoweth not what thou sayest For not withstādig thy praier perhappes be good pet hath the other no cōfort or profit by it And therefore he saith ▪ farther I had leuer vtter fyue words in the congregation wyth vnderstanding of my meaning so that the reast may haue instructiō therby then ten thousand wordes in a straunge knowen tong Saint
Communion al this while Yet are there sum that whisper in corners that the masse is ablessed a catholike thing and y ◠the holy Communion which now god of his great mercy hathe restored to vs is wicked and scismaticall therefore they murmure against it therfore they refrayne it wyll not come to it O mercifull God who woulde thynke there coulde be so muche wilfulnes in the heart of man O Gregorye O Augustine O Hierome O Chrisostome O Leo O Dionyse O Anacletus O sixtus O Paule O Christ If we be deceyued herein ye are they y ◠haue deceyued vs. You haue taught vs these sci◅nes diuisions ye haue taught vs these heresies Thus ye ordred the holy communiō in your tyme the same w◅ receyued at your hand and haue faithfullye delyuered it vnto the people And that ye may the more meruell at the wylfulnes of suche men they stande this day against so manye olde fathers so manye doctoures so many examples of the primitiue churche so manifest and so plaine words of the holye scriptures yet haue they herein not one father not one doctor not one allowed example of the prymitiue churche to make for them And when I say not one I speak not this in vehemencie of spirite or heate of talke but euen as before God by the way of simplicity and truth lest any of you shoulde happely be deceyued and thynke there is more weyght in the other syde thē in cōclusion there shal be found And therfore once agayne I say of all the words of the holye scriptures of all the examples of y ◠primitiue churche of all the olde fathers of all the aunciēt doctors in these causes they haue not one Here the mater it selfe that I haue nowe in hand putteth me in remembraunce of certein thinges that I vttered vnto you to y ◠same purpose at my last beynge in thys place I remember I layed out then here before you a number of thinges that are nowe in contronersie◅ wherunto our aduersaries will not yelde And I said perhappes boldely as it might then seeme to sum man But as I my self and the learned of our aduersaries thēselues do wel know sincerely and trulye that none of all them that this day stande against vs are able or shall euer be able to proue against vs any one of all those points ether by y ◠scriptures or by exāple of y t primitiue church or by the olde doctours or by the auncient generall councelles Since that tyme it hathe ben reported in places that I spake then more then I was able to iustifye and make good Howe beit these reportes were onely made in corners and therefore ought the lesse to trouble me But if my sayinges had ben so weake myght so easelye haue ben reproued I meruayle that the partyes neuer yet came to the lyght to take the aduauntage For my promise was and that openly here before you all That if anye man were able to proue the contrary I woulde yelde and subscribe to hym And he shoulde depart with the victorye Loth I am to trouble you with rehersall of suche thinges as I haue spokē afore and yet because the case so requireth I shall desire you that haue alredy hearde me to beare y ◠more with me in this behalf Better it were to trouble your eares with twyse hearing of one thyng then to betray the truth of God The words that I then spake as nere as I can call them to mynd were these If any learned man of all our aduersaries or if all y e learned men that be alyue be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any olde catholike doctour or father Or out of any olde generall counsell Or out of y ◠holye scriptures of God Or any one example of the primitiue Churche wherby it may be clearly plainly proued y t there was any priuate masse in the whole worlde at that tyme for the space of sixe hundred yeres after Christ Or that there was then any Communion ministred vnto the people vnder one kind Or that the people had th◅r commē prayers then in a straūge toung that they vnderstode not Or that the Bishop of Rome was then called an vniuersal Bishop or the head of y ◠vniuersal churche Or that y ◠people was then taught to beleue that Christes bodye is really substantially corporally carnally or naturally in the sacrament Or that his body is or maye be in a thousand places or mo at one tyme Or that the priest did then holde vp the sacrament ouer hys head Or that the people dyd then fall down and worship it w t godly honour Or that the sacrament was then or nowe oughte tobe hanged vp vnder a canopie Or that in the Sacrament after the wordes of consecration there remaineth only the accidents and shewes without the substaunce of bread and wyne Or that the priest then deuyded the Sacramente in three partes and afterward receyued him selfe all alone Or y ◠wh◅ so euer had said the sacramente is a figure a pledge a token or a remembraunce of Christes bodye had therefore been iudged for an heretike Or that it was lawfull then to haue xxx xx xv x. or v. Masses said in one Churche in one day Or that Images were then set vp in the churches to the entente the people might worship them Or that the lay people was then forbidden to reade the word of God in theyr owne toung If any man alyue wer able to proue any of these articles by anye one cleare or plaine clause or sentēce ether of the scriptures or of the olde doctours or of any olde generall Counsell or by any example of the primitiue chuech I promised then that I would geue ouer and subscribe vnto hym These words are the very lyke I remember I spake here openly before you all And these be the things that sum men say I haue spoken and cannot iustify But I for my part will not only not call in any thinge that I then sayd beinge well assured of the truth therein but also will laye more mater to y ◠same That if they that seeke occasion haue any thing to y ◠contrary they may haue the larger scope to replye againstme Wherfore besyde al that I haue said alredy I wil say farther and yet nothing so much as might be sayd If any one of all our aduersaries be able clearly and plainlye to proue by such authority of the scriptures the olde doctoures councelles as I said before that it was then lawfull for the priest to pronounce the wordes of consecration closely and in sylence to him self Or that the priest had th◅ authority to offer vp Christ vnto his father Or to communicate receyue the sacramēt for an other as they do Or to apply the vertue of Christes death and passion to any man by the meane of y ◠masse Or that it was then thought a sound doctrine to